Lost

Dacca became separated from his family while on vacation in the southern jungle. His mother, his father, and his three siblings had all gone on a nature hike deep in the wilderness, with the ultimate goal being to reach the top of a waterfall where they'd be able to look out over the terrain they'd just crossed and take in a splendid natural vista. Trouble is, while his parents were really into it... Dacca wasn't. Not in the slightest! It was hot, and sticky, there were bugs, his siblings wouldn't shut up, and he was afraid he'd lose his stuffed squid - Mr. Squiggles. His father had wanted him to leave Mr. Squiggles back at the hotel but Dacca had pitched a fit. The toy was his FRIEND, and there was no WAY he was going to leave him behind. What if he got lonely? What if someone broke into their room and stole him? The kit had ultimately gotten his way when his mother intervened, just to keep them all from being late and missing their meetup with the guide.

In retrospect though, maybe he should have listened to his father...

Dacca had clutched Mr. Squiggles tightly to his chest since leaving the hotel and his siblings hadn't let him forget it. In the car they'd been fine. They all just looked out the windows and pointed at things and listened while their dad read stuff out of the guidebook. But once they'd gotten out into the jungle... well. His parents were up front with the guide - 'taking it all in' as they called it - leaving the kids to their own devices. His siblings were having a grand old time! Not taking in the jungle, not listening to the guide, not chatting happily. Nope. They were poking him and prodding him and calling him a baby for having brought Mr. Squiggles along. And since they were keeping their voices down, he just got shushed whenever he complained to his parents because he was interrupting their guide's spiel. But let him try to hit his brother over the head with Mr. Squiggles? ONCE? Oh, THAT they saw, and he got told off while his siblings snickered on the sidelines. Thus, when the group took a small snack break by a split in the path, a thoroughly annoyed Dacca decided to wander a short distance up the fork to catch a few minutes by himself.

But Dacca wasn't paying attention. The path split several more times further on and, blinded by his need to escape, the young Sima took each turn at random, forging blindly ahead until he realized that he could no longer hear the raucous cries of his siblings or the warm laughter of his mother. Even the usually booming voice of his father had vanished.

All he could hear was the jungle around him.

At first this was nice - Dacca was glad for the piece! Having been stuck in a single hotel room with his siblings for the past three days (his parents got their OWN room), he'd almost forgotten what it was like to be able to hear himself think! The young Sima sat on a rock, cuddled his squid and gathered his thoughts. It was only when he stood back up and began trying to make his way back to the others that the first flickers of fear lit in his chest. Had it been this way or that way? Right? Left? He'd sworn there hadn't been this many twists. This many turns... And he didn't remember that tree. That big bush with the flowers on it. The kit tightened his grip on Mr. Squiggles and quickened his pace.

As darkness began to fall, Dacca sat down - completely exhausted - and wrapped his arms around his knees. He wanted a bath. He wanted a sandwich. And above all, he wanted his parents! Why had they COME on this stupid trip?! Why couldn't they have stayed home and gone to the movies like they usually did? It was his sister's turn to pick, and his sister always picked really good movies! There was even a new one out. With superheros. Dacca's mom had said that they could all go see it when they got home - get popcorn and everything! But what if... what... what if... No. His paws hurt from running. He'd skinned a knee and scuffed up his palms when he'd tripped over a tree root. He was scared, and lonely, and had no idea what to do next, much less where he was. But despite all that, BECAUSE of all that, he couldn't allow himself to think such terrible thoughts. He would not think about never going home.

Never...

Going...

Home...

Dacca took all his feelings, threw his head back, and screamed louder than he'd ever screamed before. Then, his energy spent and his throat aflame, he wrapped Mr. Squiggles around his shoulders and closed his eyes in an effort to calm down. Next thing he knew, there was a rustle in the bushes to his left. Startled, Dacca's eyes flew open again just as a Sima - bigger than any he'd ever seen before and covered in feathers and strange paint - emerged from the jungle. At first he was scared. But then he wasn't. Dacca could only just see the giant, silhouetted as it was in the dying light of the day, but there was concern in its eyes, and when it spotted him that concern only deepened.

"Come with me child - you can't stay here alone. The jungle is not kind to outsiders and it is growing dark. I may not have been the only one to hear your cry."

"But..."

"No time. We will keep you safe." The giant held out a paw.

Dacca hesitated for only a second before taking it.

The giant smiled and lifted the tiny kit into its arms without any apparent effort. In the same motion it turned, and the jungle swallowed them both.